The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) has achieved a historic milestone in kidney diagnostics, becoming the first in the world to apply NIPOKA’s Podocyte Exact Morphology Measurement Procedure (PEMP) technology in a clinical setting.
This achievement represents the first tangible result of a strategic partnership between UTMB and NIPOKA GmbH, a German company spun off from the University of Greifswald. Supported by a four-year, $4 million commitment from the Sealy & Smith Foundation, this collaboration is poised to transform how kidney diseases are diagnosed, monitored, and treated.
“The integration of PEMP into clinical workflow at UTMB marks a turning point in how we understand and evaluate kidney disease,” said Dr. Vineet Gupta, vice president for Innovation, Technology Development and Transfer at UTMB. “For the first time, clinicians can see podocyte injury with unprecedented precision, giving us the potential to diagnose earlier, intervene more effectively, and ultimately change the trajectory of kidney health for countless patients.”
The Sealy & Smith Foundation’s funding enabled UTMB to purchase a specialized super-resolution microscope, hire key technical staff, and advance efforts toward FDA approval. This investment also strengthens the capabilities of the Sealy Diagnostic Center, reinforcing Galveston’s role as a global hub for innovation in precision medicine. As part of the initiative, UTMB also plans to license NIPOKA’s state-of-the-art imaging technology.
“As nephrologists, we often see kidney injury long after the most critical changes have already occurred,” said Dr. David Wei, professor of Nephrology at UTMB. “With NIPOKA’s technology, we finally have a window into the earliest structural alterations in podocytes—insights we simply could not access before. This collaboration is allowing us to bridge cutting-edge science with real-time patient care, and it has the potential to fundamentally transform how we diagnose and manage kidney disease.”
The first 18 kidney biopsies have already been analyzed in UTMB’s Department of Pathology, with initial results presented at the 2025 American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week in Houston on Nov. 6–9.
NIPOKA’s CEO, Prof. Dr. Nicole Endlich, praised UTMB’s visionary leadership and recognized the key roles of Dr. Jochen Reiser, Dr. Harsh Thaker, Dr. Shamila Mauiyyedi, Dr. Heather Stevenson, Gupta and Wei in making this milestone possible.
“This collaboration shows how true leadership in science and medicine can reshape the future of patient care,” Endlich said. “NIPOKA’s technology and UTMB’s pioneering commitment to advance it in the clinic are creating a new global benchmark for kidney diagnostics. Together, we are proving what is possible when two institutions choose to lead boldly. This is not just progress—it is the beginning of a new era in precision nephrology.”